Renewed Hope
by sweetsheart
Summary: He is gone, and she believes this. Her meister isn't sensitive and nobody understands; he is gone and it is her fault. So why do these leaves keep flying through her window?


**A/N: Okay, so, this is a little bit of a skewy plot. Major spoilers for the manga past here.**

* * *

**Okay, this story is set after Mifune's supposed death, but ignores Joe's death. This is not because Joe is in the story, because he isn't, but in order to have Marie at the DWMA.**

**And, kyonkichi's kitten, if you're reading this, I apologise for using some metaphors from out English novel. But it worked.**

* * *

"Come on, Tsubaki, work with me he-" the blue haired boy stopped when his weapon took her human form, her eyes piercing through his very soul.

"_No._" she stated in a hiss.

"Tsubaki, why n-" Tsubaki shook her head at Black*Star, a scowl in her face.

"Don't even _ask_ me, Black*Star. Because you_ know._ Don't spit on his memory by asking me why I won't resonate with you." Tsubaki crossed her arms, her dark fringe covering her teary eyes.

"Tsubaki, don't. I had to-"

"_You didn't have to kill him!_"

Tsubaki Nakatsukasa's scream echoed through the clearing and Black*Star froze. Soon, a blonde emerged from the trees, panting heavily.

"Tsubaki, I heard you screaming and I-" Marie's singular-eyed gaze softened as Tsubaki dropped to her knees, her hands covering her face. Marie strode over to Tsubaki, kneeling down next to her and wrapping her arm around the trembling Demon Weapon.

"Yo, Marie-sensei, I didn't mean to or anything…" Black*Star's voice seemed to be deeper and more solemn. Marie nodded and sighed.

"Go and find Doctor Stein. I'll look after Tsubaki." Marie urged. Black*Star turned on his heel and walked out of the clearing. Marie gently shook Tsubaki out of her stupor.

"Tsubaki…" Marie mumbled gently. Tsubaki looked up at her teacher through deep, dark eyes.

"I killed him, Marie-sensei. I, literally, killed him." Tsubaki sobbed, and the blonde teacher allowed her to settle against her.

"Tsubaki, don't be silly. You can't blame yourself." Marie said. Tsubaki shook her head and gave a heaving sigh.

"Marie-sensei, I can. And I will." Tsubaki stood to her feet and walked swiftly out of the clearing, ready for a night away from Black*Star in the Shibusen dormitories. As she walked out, she passed Stein.

"Tsubaki, Black*Star sa-" Stein began, but Tsubaki sniffed and spoke in a tiny voice.

"Class is over for today, Doctor. I'll be going now." she mumbled before walking away. Stein's eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he continued walking towards his fellow teacher.

"Marie?" he asked. Marie looked up and strode towards the scientist.

"Poor Tsubaki." Marie muttered. Stein nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets as they both made their way out of the clearing.

"Is she still blaming herself for the death of that bodyguard?" Stein asked. Marie looked up at Stein and sighed.

"Franken, surely you can't be this clueless." Marie stated simply. Stein looked down and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Enlighten me." he replied. Marie looked over at Tsubaki, who could be barely spotted in the distance.

"He wasn't just _that bodyguard_ to her, Franken," Marie said, wistfully, "… she loved him."

* * *

"_Mifune… I'm so sorry._"

Tsubaki's lips pressed against the stone wall as she whispered those words to it over and over again as if it were her only friend.

Perhaps it was, now that he was gone.

She looked up at the small, grate window that was in the wall across from the bed. With her knees tucked to her chest, she heard the faint rustling of leaves outside.

"Why does it have to be Autumn? It's like you're everywhere… when you're really nowhere." Tsubaki said, her reserve of tears long since run out.

In an almost psychic act of the universe's ferocity, a leaf blew through the window and landed on her lap. She sighed as she tossed it onto the ground after crushing it in her fist with a loud crunch.

She swore she heard a groan after the noise was made.

"What?" Tsubaki asked herself in a whisper.

At that moment, another leaf flew through the window.

Tsubaki, herself, thought it stupid. He was dead, there was no getting him back.

Plus, if he was out there, he'd be courteous enough to go 'Hey, Tsubaki, I'm kinda not dead.'

Then again… no he wouldn't.

In an awfully Sid-like fashion, he just wasn't that type of man. He was a mysterious soul, and that was what drew her to him in the first place. That was what made her love him.

She deftly leapt up onto the desk, pulling the chair up with her. She set it down on the desk, and ever so unsafely, climbed up on top of it.

And then she saw it.

Her eyes began to tremble and she began to shake her head as she saw the familiar long hair and the brown eyes that she'd fallen for, day after day, battle after battle, moment after moment.

"_Mifune_." she muttered disbelievingly. Mifune pursed his lips and held up a single finger in front of them. Tsubaki quickly took her chain scythe form and slid through the bars. She was not able to take her Youto form, for even if it had not killed him, it had hurt Mifune before.

"My Tsubaki." Mifune picked Tsubaki up from the ground by hand when she took human form again and she instinctually hugged him.

"Oh, Mifune…" she whispered before stepping back.

And slapping him clean across the face.

Stumbling back and grabbing his rapidly reddening cheek, Mifune shook his head and gave a breathy laugh.

"Don't you dare laugh, Mifune. I… I thought you were dead." Tsubaki felt tears spill over from her eyes. Her emotions were all over the place; she was nineteen, for Death's sake… she was an adult now, her hormones were supposed to be in check.

"Can I hug you or will you slap me again?" Mifune asked, nonchalantly. Tsubaki's choking sobs told him the answer and he gripped her tightly, letting her sob into his chest.

"Please tell me this is really you." Tsubaki whispered.

"I'm here, Tsubaki." he spoke deeply. Tsubaki outstretched their arms and took his hand in hers.

"I held this hand… _your_ hand… while you died." Tsubaki said, tracing the faint lines on his palm. Mifune clenched his fist and rested his forehead against Tsubaki's.

"I'm sorry… _so_ sorry." he whispered before pressing her against the outside of the building, pressing his lips against hers, intermittent breaths filling the air as her hands roamed over his body.

"I had to get out of there… Black*Star wasn't going to stop until he'd thought I was gone." Mifune mumbled against Tsubaki's cheek. Tsubaki nodded and buried her face in his hair. It had the faint scent of the country on it and the smell of cedar was nestled near the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry." he mumbled to her, this time against her ear. She nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"What are you going to tell Angela?" Tsubaki asked. Mifune looked down at Tsubaki.

"She knew. I told her that I was going to come back." Mifune muttered. Tsubaki was slightly shocked and angered.

"But you couldn't take two seconds to tell me?" she asked.

"Tsubaki, if you knew I was going to fake my own death, then you'd hold back. And your meister, stupid as he is, is talented. And he knows when you're holding back." Mifune mumbled. Tsubaki's eyes softened and she pressed her hand to his face, her thumb tracing along his lightly stubbled jaw.

"I wish I could promise you that I won't have to leave again, but it's simply impossible. However… I can promise you two things." Mifune looked deeply into Tsubaki's eyes.

"Yes?" she asked.

"One. I will never, _ever_ leave again without telling you when it's happening, even if I can't tell you where I am." Mifune said. Tsubaki nodded.

"And, two…" Mifune reached down into his pocket, fishing around for the small box.

"M-Mifune?" Tsubaki stammered, looking down at the small box Mifune held.

"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to marry me. I know you're young, Tsubaki, you're yet to see the world." Mifune said. Tsubaki blinked up at him, and Mifune gave a rare smile, pressing his spare hand to the side of her face.

"I just… I want to make sure that I'm the man who takes you to see the world," he cracked open the box and showed Tsubaki the silver band, "I'm promising you myself."

Tsubaki's voice quivered with her response.

"Mifune… you… I…" Tsubaki stammered. Mifune took Tsubaki's ring finger on her right hand and slid the ring on, as not to raise too much suspicion.

"One day… whether it be in two years or twenty… I will make you my wife, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa." Mifune whispered. Tsubaki looked up at Mifune, her eyes still clouded with tears.

"I would love nothing more," Tsubaki sniffled, trying to regain her composure, "than for you to one day be my husband, Mifune." Mifune smiled and kissed Tsubaki once more, his hands resting on her hips. Tsubaki let out a small moan when Mifune's hips hit hers.

"Mifune," Tsubaki pulled her head to the side as Mifune kissed her neck, "you know Shibusen had patrols all over here. We're going to get caught."

"Who cares," Mifune asked intermittently, "they're probably pervs who'd want to watch as opposed to ratting us out."

"You're a bodyguard who, as far as Shibusen is concerned, is dead." Tsubaki looked down at him sternly. Mifune sighed and looked up at the bars which closed over the window into the dormitory. He calculated his jump carefully, and with a crouch, sprung up and grasped the two outer bars.

"Mifune, what are you doing?" Tsubaki hissed.

"These bars are rusted to no end," Mifune said, grabbing his sword out of his sheath and smacking the handle against one of the bars, watching as the top crumbled away, "so this'll be a cinch."

"Mifune, there's no way you're going to be able to bend-" Tsubaki had to eat her words when not one, not two but all three of the central bars were bent away with only one of Mifune's arms. She shook her head.

"Is that a testament to your strength or the poor maintenance at Shibusen?" Tsubaki asked, jumping up the the window and sliding through, this time without transforming. Mifune wrapped his arm around her waist as she dropped to the ground, laying Tsubaki down on the bed and looking down at her with lustful, chestnut eyes.

"It's amazing what a sexy woman will do to a man." Mifune rasped. Tsubaki gave a quiet giggled as she and Mifune began their intimate reunion. They made sure not to wake any of the poor, unsuspecting students in the other dormitories who did not have the luxury of a gorgeous demon weapon or an attractive bodyguard in their bunks with them.

* * *

Tsubaki awoke the next morning to an empty bed.

She automatically presumed the worst.

"Mifune, no…" she sat up, clutching the bed sheets to her bare frame, "Mifune?"

She was reassured when a groan came from the floor. After all, single beds were not exactly made for their prior activities. Tsubaki was relieved when she heard it, her worry washing away.

She was pleasantly surprised when she looked over the side of her bed to see a naked Mifune, sprawled out across the floor.

"Is it cold in here?" Tsubaki asked. Mifune's eyes cracked open slightly and he processed his surroundings.

"I'm on the floor." he said, quietly.

"Yes." Tsubaki uttered.

"I… don't have any clothes on." Mifune continued.

"No, you do not. Good morning to you too." Tsubaki giggled. Mifune sat up, suddenly feeling incredibly modest, and yanked the pillow out from underneath Tsubaki's head to cover his lower regions. Tsubaki fell back and giggled.

"I hate to break the happiness and the 'laughing at Mifune because he's naked on the floor' session, but… I have to go, Tsubaki." Mifune said. Tsubaki looked down at him. She should have been sad, but he was alive. It was all she ever wanted.

"I know. Where will you be?" Tsubaki asked. Mifune shook his head.

"I will find you, Tsubaki. I have no permanent location." Mifune said.

"So I'm sleeping with a homeless person?" Tsubaki asked.

"I prefer the term 'nomad.'" Mifune leant up to kiss Tsubaki gently on the lips. She pressed her hand to the side of his face and whispered to him.

"It's going to be hard, but you're alive, and that's the main part. We'll work it out." she mumbled. Mifune nodded and kissed Tsubaki again.

"Of course we will." Mifune nodded. He'd said that before in his life. He'd claimed that he thought things were going to go well.

But right there, at that moment, with Tsubaki Nakatsukasa…for the first time, he actually believed it.

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**A/N: Okay, I know it's a serious story for the most part, but I just want to say…**

**IS IT TOOO MUCH TO ASK? REALLY? I JUST WANT TO WAKE UP TO MIFUNE, NAKED, ON MY FLOOR, OKAY? **

***end 'Mifune is sexy' rant***

**Love you guys! x :D**


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